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NWS Confirms Up to 17 Tornadoes in Illinois and Indiana as Cleanup Moves Into Midweek

Widespread damage to the power grid plus destroyed homes left thousands in northwest Indiana without service and forced restorations and municipal cleanup to extend into midweek.

Overview

  • The National Weather Service said up to 17 tornadoes touched down during Thursday night’s outbreak, including several strong twisters rated EF-3 in Streator and Kouts and EF-2 tracks through Merrillville and Hickory Hills.
  • ComEd reported a peak of 674,000 customers lost power after the Thursday storms and had restored more than 99% by Monday as crews finished most final repairs in the Chicago suburbs.
  • NIPSCO said storm damage in northwest Indiana remains severe with nearly 3,000 poles and 15 transmission lines damaged and about 8,000 to 10,000 customers still without power, with restorations expected into midweek.
  • A separate round of gusty storms on Saturday night added new damage across the south suburbs, uprooting trees, flooding roads and sending a 29-year-old woman to the hospital when a tree fell on her Calumet City home.
  • Local officials and utilities have staged crews and equipment in hard-hit neighborhoods, city crews are removing debris from private property by order of Calumet City’s mayor, and residents face days of cleanup, repairs and possible rebuilding.